Experts are forecasting a decrease in spongy moths in Michigan.
The invasive species is known for eating tree leaves throughout the spring and early summer, especially oak trees.
Joanne Foreman is the invasive species communication specialist for the Michigan Department of Natural Resources.
“The cycle of the caterpillars eating lasts only about six to eight weeks. If a deciduous tree loses a lot of its leaves during that time, basically the best thing that you can do is just make sure that tree is getting a lot of regular watering.”
In most of Michigan, the pest's population peaked in 2021. Foreman said some areas will still experience outbreaks of spongy moths, but other populations in Michigan have been curbed by a naturally occurring nuclear polyhedrosis virus and the Entomophaga fungus.
Foreman said the caterpillars usually stop eating leaves in mid-summer, and trees can recover their leaves by July.
Source: michiganradio.org
Photo Credit: usda-forest-service-john-h-ghent
Categories: Michigan, Rural Lifestyle, Weather